Ernie Els is one of the greatest golfers in the history of the game, however, he has never had much luck when it comes to playing in the US Masters at the Augusta golf course. You won't find the Big Easy among the odds for the Betfair US Master 2019 as he failed to qualify for it, and his lack of success at the tournament has been an unfortunate blotch on his career.
His time at the Masters hasn't been a total bust though, as the South African has finished second on two occasions. However, when you consider that Els joined the PGA Tour in 1994, it does provide an indication of just how much he has struggled at Augusta.
The Masters is one of the most iconic golfing tournaments and most players always enjoy playing in the opening major of the golfing calendar. But not Els. He has a love-hate relationship with the course, and when talking to the New York Post, he admitted he wasn't going to miss Augusta.
"To be honest with you, I won't miss the place. I had enough of it â€" especially the last five years I played it terribly."
He's not the only player to have had bad luck on the course, with Tom Weiskopf and Greg Norman also suffering at Augusta. For Weiskopf, despite winning the 1973 Open Championship, the best he could ever achieve at the Masters was as the runner-up in 1969, 1972, 1974 and 1975. Similarly for Norman, he could only ever achieve a second-place finish at the Masters, achieving this in 1986, 1987 and 1996.
When talking about the famous course he says "I've got a love-hate relationship with the place. It was always almost like a curse to me. It was not a romantic deal to me. It was a fâ€"cking nightmare for the most part. Then, you start disliking the place when you shouldn't."
Els is currently 359th in the world and it is likely that his last Masters tournament was in 2017. His performance at the tournament saw him finish in 53rd place, and as the fourth-best South African at the tournament, with Louis Oosthuizen, Branden Grace and Charl Schwartzel all managing to finish higher.
The winner in 2017 was Sergio Garcia, who finished on nine under par. By contrast, the Big Easy finish on 20 over par. His second place finishes in 2000 and 2004 show that Ernie Els had the potential to do well on the course. In 2000, Els finished on seven under par, three shots behind winner Vijay Singh. In 2004, he improved upon his score, finishing on eight under par, but was heartbreakingly beaten by American legend Phil Mickelson, who finished on nine under par.
At the 2014 and 2016 Masters, Els failed to make the cut, while his performances at the 2013 and 2015 tournaments were significantly better, with Els finishing T13 in 2013 with a score of one under par, and T22 with a score of two under par in the 2015 Masters.
It's easy to understand why Ernie Els won't miss Augusta. His inconsistent form at the course has resulted in some resentment from the South African, but as long as he's content with not returning, he can continue to focus on other events on the tour.
His time at the Masters hasn't been a total bust though, as the South African has finished second on two occasions. However, when you consider that Els joined the PGA Tour in 1994, it does provide an indication of just how much he has struggled at Augusta.
The Masters is one of the most iconic golfing tournaments and most players always enjoy playing in the opening major of the golfing calendar. But not Els. He has a love-hate relationship with the course, and when talking to the New York Post, he admitted he wasn't going to miss Augusta.
"To be honest with you, I won't miss the place. I had enough of it â€" especially the last five years I played it terribly."
He's not the only player to have had bad luck on the course, with Tom Weiskopf and Greg Norman also suffering at Augusta. For Weiskopf, despite winning the 1973 Open Championship, the best he could ever achieve at the Masters was as the runner-up in 1969, 1972, 1974 and 1975. Similarly for Norman, he could only ever achieve a second-place finish at the Masters, achieving this in 1986, 1987 and 1996.
When talking about the famous course he says "I've got a love-hate relationship with the place. It was always almost like a curse to me. It was not a romantic deal to me. It was a fâ€"cking nightmare for the most part. Then, you start disliking the place when you shouldn't."
Els is currently 359th in the world and it is likely that his last Masters tournament was in 2017. His performance at the tournament saw him finish in 53rd place, and as the fourth-best South African at the tournament, with Louis Oosthuizen, Branden Grace and Charl Schwartzel all managing to finish higher.
The winner in 2017 was Sergio Garcia, who finished on nine under par. By contrast, the Big Easy finish on 20 over par. His second place finishes in 2000 and 2004 show that Ernie Els had the potential to do well on the course. In 2000, Els finished on seven under par, three shots behind winner Vijay Singh. In 2004, he improved upon his score, finishing on eight under par, but was heartbreakingly beaten by American legend Phil Mickelson, who finished on nine under par.
At the 2014 and 2016 Masters, Els failed to make the cut, while his performances at the 2013 and 2015 tournaments were significantly better, with Els finishing T13 in 2013 with a score of one under par, and T22 with a score of two under par in the 2015 Masters.
It's easy to understand why Ernie Els won't miss Augusta. His inconsistent form at the course has resulted in some resentment from the South African, but as long as he's content with not returning, he can continue to focus on other events on the tour.
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